There are still a lot of unknowns about what public transit needs to do, or even can do, in the post-COVID-19 world. One thing activists like Fried are sure of, though, is that everyone can’t switch to their own personal vehicles out of a concern for their health. “This applies to most big American cities but especially New York—the city just stops functioning if any significant share of subway riders decided to drive,” he says. Though people may have an aversion to closed, underground systems, they may still feel comfortable on buses, and in that case, Fried adds, dedicated bus lanes would help keep service moving, even through more traffic. … [Read more...] about Post-pandemic public transit may not end up looking all that different—but its goals may have to change

Public transportation systems across the world have struggled with how to adapt their service to meet social distancing guidelines even with limited service. Some countries, such as South Korea and China, are minimally enforcing social distancing on public transportation; meanwhile Rome’s public transportation system is using large stickers to designate seats that should be left empty, according to The Wall Street Journal. Public transportation capacity will be reduced to 10% in the U.K. for the foreseeable future. But biking and walking are already seeing a 70% increase compared with pre-COVID-19 figures. Prime Minister Boris Johnson has called it a “golden age for cycling,” according to The Guardian. … [Read more...] about How social distancing could make public transportation more bike-friendly